Signs of Life

After a week of dreary weather ─ cold, wet, the rain stopped, the sun came out for a bit yesterday and, from my needlepointing perch on the couch, I could see signs of life ─ residents once again walking up/down the pathway.

Compared to other cities, other parts of the county, things still appear to be fairly normal around here, except everyone is now wearing masks/gloves ─ possibly because it’s been so mandated by the County’s Acting Health Officer.

I’ve been inside so long ─ and like having to do so, that it takes a monumental effort to put on mask, gloves, take out the trash, pick up mail but, taking advantage of Saturday’s break in the rain, I forced myself to suit up in my glamour mask and headed out to take care of those chores.

On the way down the stairs, I looked over the railing to check on a shiny new penny I'd first spotted three weeks ago.

I kid you not, a penny has been there for at least three weeks. This even after the downstairs neighbor, left side, underneath next-door neighbor’s unit, had a visit from her two vociferous grandkids ─ a little boy and girl, whose playtime outside that neighbor’s door is running up/down the entryway screaming and yelling.

Have they not heard of “find a penny pick it up, all the day you’ll have good luck”?

A penny was a lot of money when I was a kid. I could walk to the candy store, ask for a penny’s worth, and walk out with a small bag. Is a penny not worth the effort to the newest generation?

Since the kids didn’t pick it up and inasmuch as the adults going in/out of either downstairs unit also hadn't picked it up, I'd been watching to see just how long it would be before someone or some thing carried it away. Thinking surely the last two days of all-day all night storms would have washed it away, I looked over the railing ....

Still there. Still shiny.

Is it glued to the ground?

I won’t pick it up because, though that entryway leads to a friendly neighbor (the one with the visiting grandkids), across from her is the illusive unfriendly strange neighbor (mentally challenged?) ─ the one who’d forcefully said “I don’t like people!” when I attempted to welcome her to the quad  and later incessantly complained to the office that I was disturbing her peace, waking her up at 3:00 in the morning, when I could not possibly have done so because I was asleep.

Unfriendly Illusive hasn’t been a problem since, but it struck me odd when she had her parking spot moved from the front, near me, bright side of the building to far away from her unit ─ the back, dark side of the complex.

At the time, my head said it was because the darkness always runs from the light. Fine by me. She can’t handle the bright cheerful energy I generate, but whatever ─ so long as she doesn’t cross my path.

But then, she crossed my path.

I was on the patio, putting Christmas back in storage a day or so after the new year. She came up the pathway, from the rear, looked up, saw me, said “Happy New Year” and I went “Oh!” ─ so shocked and amazed was I that she’d spoke to me, with a smile even. I was able to regain my composure enough to say “You too” before she headed into the walkway leading to her unit.

I wasn't trusting that friendly gesture though, because the signs were still there. Plus, it kinda chapped my buns that, after rejecting my friendly gesture with “I don’t like people”, I observed her sitting outside, in friendly conversation with Big Friendly Guy.

Seeing that made me think by “people” she meant “me, a female”. In fact, I had next door neighbor rolling when I recounted the observation and said, “Oh, I get it. She doesn’t like me because I’m old and pretty, while she’s young and ugly”.

I also find it strange that, when Unfriendly Illusive thought it was me keeping her up at night, there were numerous complaints to the office. However, when she learned it was the laundry room, the complaints stopped ─ even though late night/early morning usage of the laundry room continued and, lately, has started up again.

So, I'm not trusting that one friendly gesture and I’m not trusting there's luck in a bright shiny penny at the entry to her walkway, especially one in which the force is so strong that it hasn’t moved in three weeks of being pounded by wind, rain, walked on and over by children and adults.